Mariners, Seahawks, Sonics, Canucks, and any other sports tidbits we deem to be worthy. Or other stuff.All this from the minds of two former residents of the humble town of Bremerton, Washington.Cast: David (Bremerton WA), Jeremy (2003-2007).(post times Pacific, like Bremerton)

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

GAME 131: MARINERS 8, YANKEES 3

In 25 words or less: The Big Inning is a friend for once, and the Mariners pound another Yankee starting pitcher, not that fans should get used to that.

[***NOTE -- Same reason as the last game. Testing tomorrow, gotta study. Should have it up within a couple days. Still watched the game, though. I don't have priorities in order as much as I burn the candle at both ends. I'm way better at the latter, or at least I end up doing that more.]

This one featured Shawn Chacon going up against Jeff Harris. Willie Bloomquist's hamstring strain in Monday night's game resulted in him being placed on the 15-day disabled list, with Jose Lopez being called up from Tacoma in his place.

TOP 1STGrade: C+Shaky. Derek Jeter rolled the second pitch weakly to short. Hidek Matsui took a four-pitch walk. Alex Rodriguez fell behind 0-2 but worked a walk out of it. Jason Giambi fell behind 0-2 and wound up working the count full before lacing a single to rightfield on the eighth pitch of the at-bat. Bernie Williams popped the first pitch to centerfield. Jorge Posada popped the second pitch to Yuniesky Betancourt in shallow leftfield.

BOTTOM 1STGrade: C-Startless. Ichiro lashed a flyout to leftfield. Jeremy Reed chopped to Jason Giambi near the bag at first. Raul Ibañez bounced out to second.

TOP 2NDGrade: BNot too bad. Matt Lawton took a 1-2 pitch to the backside. Mark Bellhorn chopped a 1-2 pitch to second, where Jose Lopez lost the ball on the transfer (4-6 fielder's choice). Robinson Cano popped the first pitch to Ichiro near the corner. Jeter bounced a single through the left side, moving Bellhorn to second. Matsui fell behind 0-2 before flying out to centerfield.

BOTTOM 2NDGrade: AMerry go round! Richie Sexson got ahead 2-0 before fisting a single over Jeter at short. Adrian Beltre singled up the middle on the first pitch, moving Sexson to second. Mike Morse took the second pitch off the forearm, loading the bases. Jose Lopez took the first pitch in the dirt, and it got away from Posada toward the first-base side, allowing Sexson to slide in just under the tag as the other runners moved up ninety feet. Also, I hope Sexson never slides headfirst again. »» MARINERS 1, YANKEES 0Lopez got ahead 3-0 and ended up talking the 3-1 breaking ball way outside and low, reloading the bases. Yorvit Torrealba got ahead 2-0 and chopped the 2-2 pitch to Cano behind the mound, who flipped to second for the out as Beltre scored and Morse moved to third. »» MARINERS 2, YANKEES 0Yuniesky Betancourt popped the second pitch to centerfield, and Morse didn't tag up from third on the play despite Bernie Williams' arm (or lack thereof). Ichiro lined a 3-1 pitch into the rightfield seats, scoring Morse and Torrealba. »» MARINERS 5, YANKEES 0Reed drilled a 2-0 pitch into the rightfield corner for a double. Ibañez bounced the second pitch to second.

TOP 3RDGrade: CRebuttal. Rodriguez got ahead 3-1 before walking on a full-count pitch inside. Giambi got the hitters' counts and took a 3-1 pitch up and away, luring Bryan Price to the mound. Williams whiffed on a low 0-2 change. Posada cranked the first pitch into rightcenter, scoring Rodriguez and moving Giambi to third. »» MARINERS 5, YANKEES 1Lawton got ahead 2-0 before bouncing to Lopez, who took the ball off the heel of his glove and was able to only get the out at first as Giambi scored (Posada to second). »» MARINERS 5, YANKEES 2Bellhorn tapped the second pitch back to the mound.

BOTTOM 3RDGrade: B+Add on. Sexson took a four-pitch walk. Beltre popped to Cano in shallow rightfield. Morse took a full-count pitch way inside and got beaned again. Lopez drilled a 1-2 pitch into rightcenter, where Lawton had trouble fielding it, and since Lawton's throw shorthopped Cano (E9), Lopez had the double and got to third as Sexson and Morse scored. »» MARINERS 7, YANKEES 2Torrealba foul-tipped an 0-2 pitch into the catcher's glove. Betancourt bounced a ball over Lawton's head in rightfield, off the track, and into the rightfield seats for a ground-rule double, scoring Lopez easily. »» MARINERS 8, YANKEES 2Ichiro took a 3-1 pitch outside. Reed bounced to Giambi on the right side for a 3-1 putout.

TOP 4THGrade: A-Good. Cano got ahead 2-0 before taking a 2-2 breaking ball over the outside corner. Jeter couldn't hold his swing at an 0-2 slider low and away. Matsui chopped a 1-2 pitch to a leaping Harris on the mound.

BOTTOM 4THGrade: C-Settling. Ibañez grounded a 2-0 pitch to Giambi, who knocked it down and completed the 3-1 putout. Sexson got under one, flying out high to shallow rightfield. Beltre whiffed on an 0-2 pitch up and away.

TOP 5THGrade: B-Chime in. Rodriguez crushed a 1-1 pitch onto the cover over the rightfield tunnel. »» MARINERS 8, YANKEES 3Giambi bounced the second pitch to second. Williams popped an 0-2 pitch high to Reed in shallow centerfield. Posada took a 2-2 breaking ball down the pipe.

BOTTOM 5THGrade: C+Nearly something. Morse flew out to Lawton in rightcenter on the first pitch. Lopez drilled a double off one bounce and into the leftfield corner. Torrealba grounded up the middle to Cano, moving Lopez to third. Betancourt watched the second pitch get away from Posada, but Lopez stopped and went back to third. Betancourt later took a 3-1 pitch outside. Ichiro whiffed badly at an 0-2 fastball up and away.

TOP 6THGrade: B-Still putting out fires. Lawton rolled out to second. Bellhorn fell behind 0-2 and rolled out to second. Cano laced the first pitch into rightfield for a single. Jeter lasered a single into rightfield, moving Cano to second. Matsui tapped the first pitch back to Harris.

BOTTOM 6THGrade: CDrag. Reed shot the second pitch to Giambi near the bag at first. Ibañez dumped the second pitch near the leftfield line for a single. Sexson popped an 0-2 pitch to Giambi along the right side. Beltre flew out to Lawton in rightcenter on an 0-2 pitch.

BOTTOM 7THGrade: CFelix Rodriguez came in for Chacon. Morse grounded a 1-2 pitch hard back to the mound, and it bounced high into the air off of pitcher Rodriguez, who couldn't come up with it on the way to first. Jamal Strong came in to run for Morse. Lopez flew out to leftfield. Torrealba took the first pitch three feet over the head of Posada and to the backstop, allowing Strong to easily move to second. Torrealba later chopped a 2-2 pitch to short, moving Strong to third. Betancourt chopped out to short.

TOP 8THGrade: A-Solid. Lawton popped a 1-2 pitch to Torrealba behind the plate. Bellhorn worked an 0-2 count full before flying out high to rightfield. Cano popped high to rightfield.

BOTTOM 8THGrade: C+Could have been better. Ichiro got ahead 2-0 before whiffing on a full-count fastball foul-tip up and away. Reed fell behind 0-2 before digging a low and outside 1-2 pitch into leftfield for a single. Ibañez got ahead 3-0 and wound up walking on a 3-1 pitch up and away. Sexson popped very high to Matsui in shallow leftcenter. Beltre had a 3-1 pitch nearly take him out at the knees, loading the bases. Strong grounded a 1-2 pitch hard to second for a 4-6 fielder's choice.

TOP 9THGrade: B+JJ Putz came in for Sherrill. Jeter whiffed on an outside 0-2 pitch. Matsui bounced to Sexson at first for a 3-1 putout. Rodriguez got ahead 2-0 and wound up walking on an inside pitch. Giambi watched as Rodriguez took second on the first pitch (catcher's indifference). Giambi later flew out to Strong in front of the track in leftfield. Ballgame.

Ichiro (sitting on 164 hits), given he averages 4.18 at-bats per game for the rest of the season...-- needs 36 hits to get to 200 hits on the season (would need to hit .278 the rest of the way and end with a .295 season mark) -- needs 39 hits (203 hits for the season) to get to a .300 season average (would need to hit .301 the rest of the way)-- needs 53 hits (217 hits on the season) to reach a .320 season mark (.409 the rest of the way)